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Still chugging along here....Dh is still unemployed

halo1998's picture

ugh...makes things rough around here.  We did have a good weekend in NOLA....a trip we planned and paid for before his job loss. However, DH really needs to work on his health...I'm 4 years older and I walk rings around him.....it gets a bit frustrating when he needs a nap because he is wore out.

My main gripe is still this..

Dh continues to say..I'm his rock..I'm there for him, blah, blah, blah.  Yes it is true..I'm there, I support him, I lift him up when he is down and help him in any way I can.   I try to be as supportive as I can and I make sure that I'm asking what support he needs rather than assume what he needs or doesn't need, like I used to.

However, just because I'm made of stern stuff doesn't mean I don't feel and have things I need support on.  I struggle these days with my self esteem and the feeling that I can't be myself.  Most days..it doesn't bother me...but every once in awhile it does.  When it does..I would someone to talk to.  DH keeps saying..

Halo talk to me..you can tell me anything, blah, blah, blah.  That is until I do tell him and then he doesn't like it.

See my issues stem from his crappy choices..and while most times I'm ok...sometimes I'm not.  I get its hard to hear and its harder now with the stress of unemployment. But dang it...I'm human and I need support too.  Outside of DH, our marriage counselor and you fine people here..no one knows what DH did and how we are trying to put this marriage back together.  IE...my resources to talk  to are limited. 

Last night I needed some support....but ooff...it was rough.  DH really wasn't all that supportive.  Sigh..I know its a work in progress for both us..but gosh darn..just because I don't require much doesn't mean I deserve the bare minimum.  I cannot be sunshine and roses 24/7/365.  Its not realistic and its not healthy.  BTDT...... 

Couple this with the shall we....lack of affection right now since he is consumed with finding a job its a bit rough for me. (ok not a bad thing as I know he is really working hard on the job thing)....but I don't want this turned around on me later.  I don't want to hear..you didn't want me...you didn't pay attentiong to me...garbage.  

In other new..SD's stupid hamster was almost a dog toy this morning. SD dropped the carried and the hamster got out...and our boxer was on it like it was his last meal.  Luckily I have trained him so if I say leave it..he will leave what he has alone. Have I mentioned I did  not want this hamster....oh yea there is that.    Last weekend SD tried to leave the hamster here for my kids to take care while we were out of town.  Gotta love my kid DD..she told SD in no uncertain terms to take the hamster with her to Beaver's. They were not watching the hamster.

SD also is now failing two classes....DH's only goal at this point is to get her through the next year and graduate.  Oh happy day...when the Beaver money is done. 

Upside DD is in the running for a FULL (including room/board) scholarship to go her dream school in Scotland for her masters..(we live in the US).  And she just landed a 40 hour a week job during the summer in a library...she was practically walking on air when they told her.  Libraries and mathematics are her two favorite things.

Comments

Survivingstephell's picture

Time to love  yourself more and demand more from DH. What do you have to lose? An unemployed man who won't support you?   Crappy choices?  You deserve better.  Does HE think you deserve better?? From what you write it doesn't appear so.  Betrayal is hard to come back from. Old habits are hard to discard.  Doesn't sound like you are demanding much from him.  As if you've settled on the fact he can't/won't change.  Now what?? 

halo1998's picture

and where do I go from here.  I try to be understanding that DH is stressed right now.  However, its not like I'm not ..I mean his being unemployed is stressfull for me as well.  

We have therapy soon so I will talk about it there.  I refuse to give up our marriage counseling.  That was non negotiable.

Part of my problem is I'm having issues finding a balance of what I want to do..(ie work on our house or some other hobby) and spending time with DH.  Right now its not an even balance...as in I spend my time with DH doing what he wants.  I'm almost scared to not spend time with him..since I don't want to hear the...you don't pay attention to me nonesense.

AlmostGone834's picture

Thought here... you don't have to spend all your time together. Flat out tell him it's BS if he thinks you need to be doing everything together or else "you don't pay attention to me". No. Married people spend time doing things together (watching movies, going places, etc) AND time doing things separately (he woodworks/you craft or garden for example). He is a big boy and you should be able to leave him alone for a few hours a week without worrying that he's going to run off and find a new "momma". 

halo1998's picture

and do things. Dh's only thing to do is watch TV or go out to eat.  I cannot watch TV hours on end....I start to twitch after awhile.  I'm doing my best to do more of it so I can spend time with DH.  We also cannot eat out all the time now since I'm the only one brining in money.  However, last night while he was working on a job thing..I realized I have no idea what do with myself now when I have free time without DH.  It was hard to take..plus I'm insecure about who I am now. I'm not very "girly" so to speak and I work in a male dominated field so I tend to gravitate toward things that are more male I guess.  I can renovate just about anything in this house..excluding plumbing and electric. I go walking every day..but that is by myself.  I'm  just over think things.,.that maybe DH would like someone that was more "girly" and depended on him for everything. (That will never ever happen....I'm pretty independent.)

 

thinkthrice's picture

Are very much alike.   Chef has a physical job but has resumed a lot of drinking empty calories and falls asleep in front of the tv after dinner. 

I have several projects lined up including 2022 taxes (yuck), rehabbing 2 grills and a smoker, cleaning out the upstairs garage, reducing clutter and reorganizing after the Bermuda Triangle aka Chef.

halo1998's picture

Cleaning out something, etc.  LOL

Got a few closets planned plus I'm repainting all of our woodwork in our house.

AlmostGone834's picture

Don't feel bad if you're not the most girly girl I'm not either but we all bring things to the table.  He is never going to find the perfect person (and if he thinks he's going to, he will never be happy). You gotta look at the whole picture of a person.

We all have things that our spouses would like to be different (I know mine could list a few) but the good ones know nobody is perfect. Girly girl may be a binge spender, or a BPD, or a cheater, or she may play the worst music all day long, rage at him, or turn off his TV and strap him into a rowing machine, or addicted to pain pills like The Skunk Ape, or her cooking might be awful or she may refuse to clean, or she might be a overbearing stuck-up Martha Stuart like my aunt, or terrible in bed, or just plain freaking annoying or childish. 
 

I think a lot of us women struggle with self esteem because society doesn't treat us very well. We are told we have to be A (but not too much of A) and B (but not too much of B ) and C (but not too much of C)

Shieldmaiden's picture

I dated a man like DH when I was in my mid thirties. I dumped him when I realized two things about him. 

1. He wanted a "princess" who would have his babies, stay home, and depend on him. I told him that wasn't me, but he didn't listen.

2. He didn't have the stones to stand up for his employees when a customer routinely came into his store (he managed said store) and harassed them. I knew that I wanted a man who could stand up for himself and others, since my own dad was basically a battered spouse. My mom treated my dad horribly.

This guy that I dated wasn't a bad guy, but these things were dealbreakers for me. It sounds like they are dealbreakers for you, too. You just haven't let yourself think it because you feel guilty. You deserve better than this guy. He sounds manipulative.

CLove's picture

Husbands job will be gone in April...they are retiring. And hes wanting to take time off...and fish and liquidate things and do whatever. Even though theres another job supposedly waiting for him...

Its so stressful! And you need to focus on you and you are having to take care of him.

((hugs))

JRI's picture

I'm not sure if "compassion fatigue" is the right term but you know what I mean.  I think empathic people are more prone to this and its what you are having now.  You are soaking up his emotional state (you can't help it) and on top of your own feelings, you're overwhelmed.  Add to this you have the "normal" steplife stress.

I don't have the answer, it might be a situation where you just have to wait it out and/or make alternate decisions.  In the meantime, take the best care of yourself and keep venting here  And, GOOD for your DD,  how exciting!

halo1998's picture

some days are easy and others are not.

I guess I'm a bit tired of their always being a crisis of some sort surrounding DH.  Either its his job or Beaver or SD..or all three.  At times I feel like there is no room in my marriage for my feelings due to the constant chaos in DH's life.

Stepdrama2020's picture

The fallout happens in stages with peaks and valleys.

First is the finding of an affair. TBH i didnt go back to read your story but I am assuming this is what it is via comments above.

Second is the hurt, the anger, and depression.

Third the guilty party reassuring you it will never happen again. So you decide to work on it and go to therapy.

Fourth the guilty party "expects" you to get over it (if that is possible, for some yes, for others no)far sooner than you are able. The guilty party slowly makes his reasons for the affair is because of what you lacked in the relationship.  

Fifth if the guilty is toxic  he will start making the problems about you to deflect away from them. Not sure if this is the case with you.  Yea I was cheated on in  relationships. 

This often leads to an eventual  breakup because the hurt is too deep, and factor in all the issues. Again MY experience .

Now with the loss of  DH's job I cannot image how stressful this is to you. HUGS kind lady.

Blessings to a clearer path hun

 

halo1998's picture

Yes..DH expects me to get over it a bit quicker than I can.  He doesn't blame me, however I can see how we both contributed to the faultering of our marriage. The choice however was his and his alone.  It does go in waves..and the waves are less and less now..but they still happen.

The job loss has made this journey way harder....and I'm doing my best. 

thinkthrice's picture

When there are still "help wanted" signs everywhere ( which is about to turn; the layoffs have begun).

He better get his butt in gear instead of wallowing in self pity and trying to drag you under with him!

SteppedOut's picture

This is what I was thinking also.

And CLOVES husband wanting to "take some time off" - well, if he absolutely can take care of his share on his own...but somehow I doubt that.

SMH. I am glad I have decided to remain single after my last step-hell attempt. I am happier, have FAR MORE money and am just at peace in general. There is nothing wrong with being single, infact, I prefer it.

AlmostGone834's picture

I will be joining your ranks the second things go south with my DH or one of us dies (if it's me I'll be single in the afterlife)

halo1998's picture

if this doesn't work..I'm single for the rest of my lifel  Nope...not going through this shiznit again.  Nuh uh...

Kona_California's picture

I'm curious, SteppedOut, how long were you in your last relationship? What was the last straw that made you decide to leave? 

I've attempted to leave my SO several times but being this isolated has made it really hard.

SteppedOut's picture

Last straw was his kid finished school for the year (May) and I was staring down being his "babysitter" for 2 months. He was out of school for a week and I planned my escape. I literally secretly packed my stuff (and my baby's stuff) in 2 days and left while my SO was at work. 

The "kid" then 13 was HORRIBLE. Literally tried hurting my baby all the time and "dad" would just blow it off and make excuses. 

I also was isolated - had moved to another state, hadn't been working because I had a baby...and formerSO had spent all my maternity savings (never paid it back, tbh that was just a method of financial control). 

Luckily, I still owned a home in another state. Had my older son and a good friend come up and help me pack and leave. Things were TIGHT financially, but I started working the following week and things have only looked up for me since (+5 years). FormerSO decided to never see our shared son and only pays very minimal child support (lied on CS paper work and they didn't require W2 or tax returns), I guess when he feels like it - despite being a high earner. He said he "wasn't going to make it easy for me to leave him." Well... I guess that works if a woman isn't able to support herself, but, I can. 

halo1998's picture

its a bit tougher to get a new job these days.  Some of the interviews are just down right unreal...like 8 interviews, do  project and presentation. I anticpate it will take about 3 to 6 months for DH to find a new position in his field.

ndc's picture

Do the companies requiring projects and the like really need to vet prospective employees that carefully, or are they trying to get free work out of them? That sounds ridiculous. 

Cover1W's picture

Yes many do this now in some industries! One of my friends has gone though this several times. Sounds like free work to me too!

Rumplestiltskin's picture

I'm lucky that i've never been unemployed, but if i were or if my SO were, lying around all day would not be ok with me. I can see taking a break for a few weeks to relax and decompress, but after that i would want to feel like the person was pulling their weight in the family to the best of their ability. Taking on the majority of the housework and cooking, doing other projects around the house, doing more with the kid(s), etc. If not that, then at least get a part time job in an unrelated field (Home Depot?), and spend the rest of it on the job search. He could also work on his health while he's out of work. I'm someone who appreciates effort, and if i didn't feel like he was making an effort, i would be pissed. 

halo1998's picture

right now he is working on a project/presentation for an interview next week.  I cannot fault him on that. This go around with unemployment he has taken on the cooking cleaning etc around the house.  That is first and is much appreciated.  

The health thing..I have pointed out he has time to work on that now.  He just doesn't want to and that is frustrating.  I don't want to spend my retirement years in front of the TV.  Not going to happen...

Rumplestiltskin's picture

At least he's increased his non-monetary contributions to the household, so that's something. Trying to get someone healthy who doesn't want to is like beating your head against a wall. I'm going through that with a family member as well. 

Harry's picture

With grub hub. Uber eats. Anyone with a drivers license and a car can be making money in 1/2 hour. Not the greatest job, Not a dream job, but you make money.  There is no excuse today for sitting on his rear watching tv    You have bigger problems then you know of. 

Rags's picture

We  have to go Hmmm/ when the outcomes for child of one partner are orders of magnitude superior to the outcomes for the failed family progeny of a mate.

For us, SS is an only child in our family so there is no direct comparison for us to measure his outcome in relation to a StepSib in the same blended family. He is the eldest of 4 half sibs by three different women in the SpermClan.  DW and I raised him as equity life partners, equity parents, and with standards of bahavior and performance.

His three younger half sibs are trainwrecks of varied tragedy.  Welfare, prison, and who knows what else will unfold with them.

Your DD is a testament to her own character and dedication as well as a testament to your example and parenting.

Congratulations to you both.

Good luck with DH and his failed family progeny.

As for DH's job search. I get it. I have had two periods of extended unemployment in my career. A year when the semiconductor bubble burst in 2001 and two years when Oil tanked and Covid hit.  Both were hell. For me and for DW.  For me because I was not providing and could not engage in my career. For DW because she was the sole provider in a marriage where our model was for us to both pursue a career, partner in life, partner in raising SS, and partner in making a home and building our future and retirements together.

I busted my butt to find a next opportunity. I applied to countless hundreds of jobs, had dozens of interviews.  I ended up #2 several times for offers.  As with most things, alignment will eventually come for an opportunity. It did for me.  The first period of unemployment a former colleague called me regarding a night shift supervisor offer.  I did accept that job though it was at 40% less than I had previously earned in a Sr. Manager role. I was thrilled to have the opportunity.  It took a lot of pressure off of my DW.

The second unemployment period was very long though I did some intermittent consulting for that two years both domestically and internationally.  It was not a significant income but it did keep my resume active.  That period of unemployment ended on a Hail Mary

job application for a role I last held more than 10 years prior. I accepted the offer, at 30% less than my historical base salary levels, and happily jumped into the role.  The first time I had this role, with a different company and customer, it was the most fun I have had professionally. This time, with the exception of a year of hell with a toxic #2, it is a great and interesting job.  Income increases over the past two years have me within about 10% of my historic income levels.  Combined with DW's great career progress, we have been able to recover, for the most part, from my unemployed periods.

I hope your DH finds his next role soon. I get the strain on you both. I hate the strain my two unemployment periods have but on my bride.  I have few regrets, this is the one of them.